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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28986732">I’ll remember.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SapCherryNap/pseuds/SapCherryNap'>SapCherryNap</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Forest - Fandom, Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Blood, Happy but sad ending, Horror, Kidnapping, Language, M/M, Mild Fluff, No Smut, Ranboo is Techno’s younger brother, Stranded, injuries, subtle shipping undertones, the forest - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 09:34:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>19,193</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28986732</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SapCherryNap/pseuds/SapCherryNap</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After a rather unfortunate plane crash, Technoblade found himself stranded on some island. With his brother missing the second he woke up, he was all alone. Or so he thought. What happens when he wakes up to see his brother going through his stuff one night? And what happens when he realizes that the figure -isn’t- his brother?</p><p>•~ </p><p>This story is actually all copy pasted from a roleplay I had wrote with one of my closest friends, so some of the writing may be a bit odd! I am trying my best to edit and avoid confusion :) </p><p>•~</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Clay | Dream/Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>80</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Based off of the game The Forest!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Have you ever wanted to scream? Scream so loud that glass shatters? That’s how Technoblade felt. <em>Don't touch him.</em> He had booked a flight around a week ago as a birthday present for his brother. They were planning on going to Europe and it was— not cheap. Though money doesn’t matter now. The plane began to go down and if he had to be honest, he just thought it was a rumor. People said to never go on the airline on this specific day due to a worry it would randomly crash. How was he supposed to know to listen to bullshit like that?</p><p>The last blurry sight he saw was of his brother and.. someone else? He had no idea who nor what the figure was, but they carried his unconscious brother out of the crashed plane. Technoblade wasn’t able to truly react since he passed out again moments later. </p><p>“Mm..” He grunted once his eyes slowly blinked themselves open. It felt like a horrible nightmare, but when he started seeing all of the dead bodies around him, It would be too realistic. The smell of reeking blood almost pushed Technoblade out of the thing within itself, his stomach not at its strongest. </p><p>Where was he? Where was his brother? Surely they didn’t crash onto well populated land. If they had, there would be more people around. More than that one guy he saw at least. Technoblade lifted a hand to his head as he began to wander. Did he have a concussion? Possibly. Was that anywhere close to his first concern? Not at all. "Err- Hello?" Confidence lacked in his tone. It felt as if his brain was poorly wired. This was too much for him to comprehend.</p><p>Well it could have been way worse. He could have warn one of his really light, complex outfits which would be a bitch to not only get out of, but sleep in. Instead, he wore a simple black hoodie with some brand shirt underneath and dark jeans. Though technoblade had to take a step back and remind himself that to even be able to sleep in the first place, he had to find a place to set up. That also wouldn't be possible without a good light source and a genuine idea of the land.</p><p>Well, for one thing, he didnt know jack shit about the land. However, he did have a lighter in his pocket. Was it a little scuffed from the collision? Meh, thats up for debate. What's important is the fact he finally has a damn light source. </p><p>The pink haired man held his arm out as he continued to walk. The dark never really scared him so thank god for that, but he couldn't help to wonder if a bear was watching him. Maybe it was the fact anyone would be paranoid in a situation like this, but either way the thoughts didn't help. Pushing that aside, a faint sound of waves began to flow through his eardrums. Instinctively, not wanting dehydration to be his fate, he was drawn to it. The lighter didn't reach very far, but it was as clear as day that he was near an ocean. Something also told him that meant he's on an island. How convenient that is.</p><p>~•~</p><p>Who was this? </p><p>There never were any survivors, not on these mystical objects. Where did those metal birds come from, anyway? Who created them? Was it ‘God’, the sky man these people riding the sky bird wrote about in some of their journals? His own people enforced that this sky man stay out of their own personal beliefs, and that he shouldn’t be admired. So Dream never concerned himself with that. </p><p>The native stood at a mountainous 6’4 when standing up straight, though dominantly of the time he had a hunch that brought the man down to 6’0. Dirty blonde hair, medium long and somewhat messy, covered the top of his head, face almost equally as so, adorning a skull mask that allowed only his emerald eyes to show through. </p><p>Now, nobody likes to be run around outside naked, especially in a wilderness area. With these past few metal bird crashes lots of materials have been scavenged, like proper clothes. And once the natives began to wear them, fashion not a concern, they never went back. They provided great warmth in the winter, as well. </p><p>Dream had his own ‘outfit’, which was just a pair of torn capris that stopped halfway up his calf. A diagonal section of bandages were wrapped around his torso underneath his arms, covering the left side of his well built chest. The man wasn’t overly muscular, but the definitions were most definitely there on his body. No shoes, gloves, or anything else, and Dream was fine. Other than the spear he had carried on his back which was secured under the bandages. His skin was fairly tan though not to an extreme degree, and held the occasional scar. However the most visible one was hidden under the mask, an ever so slightly lighter line starting from the upper left side of his face, down across the freckled bridge of his nose, and stopping at the right corner of his mouth.</p><p>Those bare feet stood carefully atop a tree branch, hands holding tightly onto the trunk as eyes peered down to the plane, looking in through the window and at a pink haired man who called out for some others. Unfortunately nobody else had survived, so nobody else would be responding. Well, except for that boy. Though he wasn’t sure where he was taken. </p><p>Dream’s legs moved as he moved from the tree to the top of the plane, being careful as to not make any loud noises with his feet. He’s never seen a live foreigner before, just the corpses that were scattered around for decoration. It was a great opportunity to possibly learn about what it was like in the outside world, but only if this foreigner had good intentions. See, in Dream’s world, his people were judged by a mysterious upper power, who was responsible for life as they knew it. The ground, the trees, everything. They were grateful. But if this being were to be offended by disrespecting the land or anything along those lines, then the natives would go weeks or even months without rain, a single sighting of any creature for food, punishment. </p><p>Dream would not risk it. If this man really did carry ill intentions, then he will be dealt with accordingly by the others once they were aware of his presence. For now, the native simply remained hidden and watched from a safe distance. And for hours he watched, observing as this foreigner built some form of shelter. As weak as it was, it would carry him through the night. He was smart. Now, weather that was a threat or not would be determined later. For now Dream found himself enthralled in this foreigner’s skills.</p><p>What an interesting structure. This foreigner was smart, he knew how to use his given resources and use them for what he needs. And now that he was finally asleep, it gave opportunity for curious eyes to explore over this alien looking equipment. Dream was never allowed to touch the more important stuff his higher ups managed to get at previous crashes. </p><p>The native slowly walked into this foreigner’s camp, slowly, inch by inch until he stood right by his little shelter, finally able to get a good look at his face, as dimly lit as it was in the moonlight. The first thing he noticed was unnaturally pink hair, which was a little scary, he’ll admit. A strong yet smooth face, which gives off the impression that this man wasn’t lazy, obviously. Hm. </p><p>Dream moved back and turned his head when his heel stepped back onto the handle of some sort of axe. The native turned and squatted down, practically sitting on the back of his heels as curious hands held the ax, turning it over and moving it around s his eyes scanned the object. He grabbed the blade, perhaps a bit too hard, because a sudden little prick of pain caused him to drop it into the sand. With a gentle grunt Dream looked at his hand, seeing a minor cut in his palm from the blade. What an interesting weapon. In a way, it was like his spear. No, wait, the foreigner used it to cut down trees in order to make this shelter. </p><p>The sandy blonde continued to squat down as he used his good hand to pick up the chain, head tilting as he studied the weird accessory that reflected light when caught right in the moon’s reflection. This foreigner enjoyed wearing metal? Dream, experimentally, put it over his head until the chain hang from his neck. </p><p>What was the point of this?</p><p>~•~</p><p>Okay, sleeping was hard, but it felt wrong to be tossing and turning so much. It had eventually woke him up, a rock ending up jabbing him awake. Technoblade's eyes were hardly more than a squint, glancing around a little just to be attentive. Why did he hear ruffling? The male decided to keep on laying there as if he hadn't woken up, but was still actively looking for a sound source. Surprisingly, it was coming from the darkened silhouette of a- well what he could assume to be a human. "Ran?" He mumbled out, but almost instantly after that name left his mouth, he could tell that it wasn't who he thought it was.</p><p>The man was quick to shoot up to reach for his axe and lighter, scrambling to his legs while doing so. He couldn't tell who the fuck he was looking at once the area was lit up, but he didn't care. That skull mask did not sit right with him, and at this point any stranger could be the creep who took his brother. With a swift movement, he kicked the stranger hard enough to push him down. If he had to be honest though, he had to use a lot more force than he thought he would. The guy was lanky, but seemed to have hidden muscle. Regardless, Technoblade pressed the blade against the mans neck. "Give me that necklace or im poppin' your head off."</p><p>Threatening people was probably how you make enemies in this shit hole. Should he have thought this through? Yeah, but what was he supposed to do? When you wake up to somebody who you don't know, you don't really question your fight or flight instinct.</p><p>In all honestly, this guy waking up should have been inevitable. I mean who sleeps good upon your first night of being stuck on an island after a plane crash? Dream was careless, and the next thing he knew he was on the ground with the same sharp blade against his neck. Good thing he knew that thing was sharp, or else he wouldn’t have taken that threat very seriously. </p><p>Still, his life was being threatened right now. </p><p>The ax could only be efficiently used when brought back so it could give a large enough swing in order to inflict damage onto a tree. This case was no different. Even if this foreigner decided to try and lop off his head anyway, it would take him time to rear back the weapon, giving him a window to attack. So having it rest still against his throat wasn’t that much of an issue. What was an issue was the fact that he was on the ground, and would need to resort to using his legs. Of course he’ll give the necklace back, but he wasn’t doing it under the control of some foreigner on his land. </p><p>Dream suddenly lifted his knee up, the impact being given to the back of Techno’s to forcibly make his leg fold. And when given the opportunity Dream pulled on his arm the rest of the way, knees making quick work in pinning his arms into the sand as he straddled this man’s back. Dream huffed, though he had no intention of hurting him. He was the one trespassing on this foreigner’s shelter, after all. His good hand took the necklace off and dropped it by the pink haired man’s head, right on the sand. And, slowly, he backed off of his body, legs bending once more as he stood and took a few steps back, heels feeling the more wet sand as he now kept his back turned to the ocean. With a hunched spine and careful, cautious eyes, he watched to see how this foreigner would react. Would he continue to attack? Or remain neutral?</p><p>Well. To say the least, he wasn’t expecting that. So the little shit knows how to think quick. Good to note. Fear did strike his body for a few moments, but the longer the man was on his back, the calmer he felt. It just gave him a sense of hope that he wasn’t about to be murdered since most people wouldn’t take long to act on such an ill intention. Technoblade glanced down to his necklace and was quick to snatch it once he was free, putting it back on his neck hastily. Why didn’t he speak? Scream? Something? The only thing he got out of it was a huff. Even if whatever the dude would say wouldn’t be English, it would be something to go off of.</p><p>Technoblade just watched the person for a few seconds. A good distance was made and neither were attacking the other. Good.. Good. If he had to be honest, even with the fact the stranger didn’t seem hostile, he was unsure of what to say. Was he even supposed to say anything? “Thanks.” One word, but it’s a start. He began to look around once more. His axe was still there and so was everything else. For now, he could check whatever this person is off the list of dangers. “...Alright- uh,, How many of you are there? I saw someone take my brother and he kinda looked like you, so I’m just— Y’know. Wondering.” </p><p>While talking, he couldn’t help but trace his eyes over the guy with the very little light he had. Looked tall, but would probably be taller if he wasn’t so hunched. Pretty bad clothing as well, though he wasn’t in the place to judge. The main issue here was the possible language barrier. Technoblade wanted answers to his problem as soon as possible. The sooner he finds his brother, the sooner he can leave.<br/><br/>So this man spoke English, and quite well at that. While it was good so he knew what to avoid if he ever interacted with this foreigner again, considering his morbid curiosity, the language barrier was stronger than he'd like to admit. Communication was going to be rough. Dream only knew the most basic of words, let alone barely how to speak them. His people communicated through gestures and noises, maybe the occasional "no". Keeping a secret stash of books in his own little hidden cave did help a bit.</p><p>But even with all of that, some of the words this foreigner spoke went in one ear and clean out the other. All that he gathered was the thanking, his curiosity as to how many of his people there were, and that the smaller foreigner was his brother. A tricky situation to be in. </p><p>However Dream didn't respond. Instead the man's back hunched just a tad more as he took a slow, steady step towards the other, the balls of his feet touching the ground before it was set down flat. Another step and he was maybe two feet away from the foreigner, completely enthralled in his being. He looked so differently dressed than the other passengers. Hell he didn't even think pink hair was possible. The native hummed just a quick second as he reached a hand out, the tips of his fingers being placed against the middle of the stranger's chest just to feel the fabric of his hoodie. Dream pulled his fingers back and studied the tips of them before looking back up to his face. </p><p>"Soft." Dream spoke simply, the word not as articulate as most would say. Maybe that could get them somewhere, and they could meet on a verbal middle ground for communication. Then again he wasn't sure if he could stay for very long. How would his tribe react to him conversing with a foreigner? This man was still an intruder, after all.</p><p>The very second the person started to get closer, Technoblade could feel himself tense up. Maybe it was the skull mask, bad posture, or the fact their first interaction was hostile. He just couldn't help but be weary. Nonetheless, he kept his eyes fixated on him. As of now, the two halves of his brain were having a debate. The right was telling him to run while the left told him to stay. Clearly staying was the best option considering all the stranger seemed to be interested in was the fabric of his clothes. "Yeah, it's a hoodie." The male explained, lifting up the hood a little in hopes the man could make connections with the hood and the name. "Clothes like this normally feel like that."</p><p>He'd be lying if he said he didn't start to ask questions. The way the other spoke.. It sounded choppy with slightly off pronunciation, but good enough for him to understand. "Sorry for kicking ya. You got a name?" By now he just started to believe that the others english wasn't extremely fluent. Though he'd be satisfied with minimal words as long as their messy communication would be tolerable.</p><p>Technoblade glanced up at the stars. He could only figure he hadn't slept much from when he fell asleep to this encounter, considering the moon didn't move much from it's place. "If you don't want to answer or somethin, that's fine." His arm started to hold the lighter further out, looking around from where he was standing. Clearly this island was populated because there's no way two sane people could be living here separately. It made him sort of paranoid, but also relieved in a sense? If this stranger was nice to him, that raised the chances of his brother not getting murdered. Hopefully, at least.</p><p>Not many of his people wear shirts, if any at all. It hinders their movement, especially while hunting or maneuvering through small spaces. Clearly, this foreigner was from a land where he didn't need to move harshly like that. What was it like? </p><p>But did Dream have a name? Actually, he had two. When he was still under his mother's care, he was found, at the age of five, playing in a big pool of naturally formed clay. So he was given the nickname Clay after a few days of teasing. Once he became dependent at the age of sixteen, he started having weird dreams, dreams even he couldn't remember. So he gave himself the name Dream, and stuck with that more than Clay. Where his mother is now? He has no idea.</p><p>"Name.." The man mumbled, deciding weather he should tell this foreigner which name. After a few seconds, he put his hand on his chest and lightly tapped it. "I am Dream. Your name?" Now that this man proved himself to be innocent, his curiosity only grew stronger. Though he hoped the answer would come quickly, sooner or later his hunting party would notice that he's been gone for quite a while now.<br/><br/></p><p>Dream. That was a pretty name. Caught his interest without a doubt. "Im Technoblade, Techno, Tech, whatever you want." It was a funny story. His birthname was Dave, but as soon as he started youtube, that all changed. Hell, even his personal family calls him Technoblade now. He'd consider a legal name change if he was desparate enough. "Hey it was nice meetin ya and all, but I need to get some shut eye. Im sure you got some.. things to do?" It was pretty late, but these people seemed to do almost everything differently. If they were all night owls then so be it, but that also gave him something new to worry about. "Cya later" That was a very hypothetical dismissal. Technoblade couldn't care less if he saw Dream again or not. It was really up to the other at the end of the day.</p><p>Once he finally was able to lay back down at his little settling area, sleep came easier now. This all just brought him a sense of hope that he'd be able to make it out of here alive. At least if he weren't to die from a natural cause. Though, when he was younger he used to go hunting with his dad. They used both guns and bows. So food was crossed off the table if he could find out how to make a bow, along with hydration. Yet those were all worries for another day. At least this native knew how to not overstay his welcome. The one of many downsides was he had to sleep with one eye open tonight. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. He’s back</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It's been an interesting few days. Contact with Techno wasn't made at all for the time being considering he needed the space in order to form a survivable camp, which was turning out a lot better than what Dream had expected. Rock walls, food racks, a little cabin, the works. He seemed to be making good out of a bad situation. Meanwhile, while Dream had to return home, he tried to figure out what he could about his brother. And all he knew was that he was being kept in a cave in the northern section of the island, right where that massive sinkhole was.</p><p>Currently the man was standing outside Techno's area, a dead raccoon in his arms as he looked for a way to get in. That is until he found the door, which wasn't opening unlike the times he secretly watched the foreigner walk in and out with no problem. Was it because it was night? There was still a fire going. </p><p>His skull-masked face bumped a bit into the door as he tried to push it open with his head, but to avail. Next was his right foot, but yet it remained closed. Maybe the fence? They were familiar with each other somewhat, so it wouldn't be an issue.</p><p>Dream held the dead animal a bit tighter as he approached a tree, very carefully climbing it before jumping off the lowest branch and landing atop the stone fence, only to take one last little leap inside the camp. It was rather cozy in here, and the smell of cooked food was a tad stronger. It made his stomach growl, that's for sure. The native grunted as he looked around, leaning close to the door, seeing what would make it stay closed. There was something blocking it from opening, like a little wooden piece. Huh.. how smart.</p><p>Maybe it was his survival instincts kicking in, but he never expected for himself to be capable of creating such a shelter. A couple food racks, a fence to separate himself from the rest of the island, a hunting shelter, a fire, Technoblade was impressed with himself. Ever since his first night here, he just couldn't bare the thought of being in such a vulnerable position, sleeping out in the open like that. To his fortune, he also managed to create some weapons. A bow, a knife like rock, and a spear. It was quite the improvement from his axe. Although it gave nasty blows, it was hard to move around quickly. He actually managed to shoot down a few birds with some arrows. Well, that and a rabbit. Right now he was cooking up the bird meat on top of a fire. Overall though, he was set. He had a food source and figured out how to purify water. </p><p>The pink haired man was now moving a few logs to a corner. He wasnt sure what he would need them for, but surely it would come in use later. Though a sudden sound caused the guy to flinch. Was someone trying to get in? Technoblade had seen some people wandering around, but never walked up to any of them. What did he do to provoke any of them? He hurried to grab his knife that was stashed with all of his other weapons, ready to swing whenever he sees the person. </p><p>Apparently though, he didn't seem to need to. It was the strange guy he met on his first night here. "God, Dream-- I could've stabbed you." He sighed, relaxing a little from his defensive stance. "Just give the door a few taps next time." Techno ran a stressed hand over his face before going to set down his knife back with his other weapons. "Wait-- Is that a raccoon?" The male finally realized, glancing over at the dead animal the other was holding.  "...Cool, cool." Well, he was surprised. He never thought he'd see the man again. That he just fucked off or something.</p><p>The knife was put away just as quickly as Dream's eyes caught it, which meant that there was already some form of mutual trust. Good. Out here, that was essential when concerning yourself with other people, especially now. He wasn't about to break that trust, which is exactly why he brought the gift. And once Techno acknowledged the animal, he took a few less cautious steps forward, more relaxed and open while still being reserved, ready to move any second. </p><p>The raccoon was dead with some blood splattered on it’s fur, one eye missing and it's legs wrapped together by the ankles with a thin rope. A peace offering, freshly killed and ready to be cooked, a common display of kindness or friendship upon the natives of the island. He held the raccoon out to Techno, eyes moving from the corpse to the foreigner's face, looking for any kind of reaction. Even his own hands were a little dirtied from dried blood. Surely the traditions couldn't be <em>that</em> different, right? His were all he grew up knowing and practicing. </p><p>Then again, Techno spoke a lot of English, some words he's never even heard before. "cool." Dream repeated, voice a little filtered behind the skull mask, but still able to be clearly heard. What other words did this man know that he didn't? What did they mean?</p><p>Was this thing for him? Wow, this guy surely was interesting. Disappear for a while and come back with a gift. Technoblade took the raccoon from him as he heard the other mutter something. Did he repeat him? "Yeah.., cool. Yknow-- good." Moving over to a small rack he had of hanging animals and furs, he hooked it up there. "Thanks though. It's appreciated." Okay so they had some sort of established mutuality here. That was good to know.. kind of made him feel bad about kicking him when they first met. </p><p>"I havent seen ya in a few days. You been busy?" He had no idea if Dream understood half of the words that left his mouth, or if he could only respond, but he could only hope. Though, fun fact. Technoblade grew up with a lot of diversity around him. That mainly meant he came across a lot of language barriers. It typically didnt stop him from communicating. He always found a way around it as his parents had taught him. "Oh and you can have some if you want" He offered with a gesture towards the cooked bird incase the other couldn't catch on. Though to prevent it from burning, he moved the bird to a-- plate? Napkin? Whatever, it was made out of leaves and it was a place he could set food without it getting dirtied.</p><p>Dream grinned under the mask once the raccoon was taken, and of course a hungry belly never turned down food so once it was offered, albeit a bit weird, he took one of the makeshift plates with cooked meat atop it. He wasn't a stranger to cooked meat, they just didn't cook their meals all that often. The dead were recycled as food, only hunting animals when need be. To them it wasn't wrong or different, it was just a way of life. A circle, if you will.</p><p>Dream sat on the ground and lifted the skull mask up until his mouth was exposed to the air, teeth soon enough taking a bite of the cooked meat. It tasted pretty damn good, actually. His tribe was getting low on food, so this was a nice change of pace compared to other meats wrapped tightly in leaves and stored in very cold cave water to keep it good longer. Though when he went to take a second bite, a familiar and distant screech echoed through the night sky. A hunting party. </p><p>Dream wasn't scared, but he knew that if they found Techno and all of this foreign stuff, they won't like it. Especially if it's run by a chief. Which, after that plane crash, it most likely was. The native set his food down and stood to his feet once again, attention being diverted to how in the hell Techno was going to hide from this. The glow of the fire, the smell of food, Techno's unnatural scent-</p><p>His scent. </p><p>Dream looked to Techno and took a few quick steps towards him, fingers pulling at the front of his hoodie before patting his own chest. "Hoodie. I'll wear it." If he wore that hoodie and ran off in some direction, he could draw the party away with that alien scent, away from Techno and his camp.<br/><br/></p><p>Well there went their few moments of peace. Technoblade went to his wall, moving a piece of rock that he put there specifically for a window-like hole. They all seemed small from the distance, but he could tell there was a hell ton of them. "Jesus christ" He cursed under his breath while going to get his weapons, but he was stopped before he could reach them. Did he really want to give this guy his hoodie?-- You know what, fuck it. If it's for the sake of his life, yes he did. The pink haired male swiftly tugged the clothing over his head before giving it to Dream. Some part of this made him nervous, but he knew how to hide. Oddly enough, he prepared for a situation like this. "Be careful. I don't want to find your dead body anywhere." </p><p>Although he wasnt planning on getting caught, Techno still grabbed a weapon so he would have something to protect him as a last resort. The logs in the corner of his base was circling the corner in a way that it had just enough space to fit him underneath. After putting out the fire and putting the rock back into place, that was where he went to hide. His knife was held to his chest and all he knew was that if anyone even tried checking the logs, he would slice open their leg. </p><p>So not everyone was nice here. Thank god he ran into Dream or else he'd probably be dead. He has no idea how brutal they can be since he typically minded his own business and strayed away from the natives, but he had a good idea. Dream was obviously strong and he did not want to be put in a situation where he has to <em>try </em>to 10v1.</p><p>The thing about shirts, or hoodies, or sweaters, was that Dream had never worn one. Bandages, sure. But a shirt? Let alone a hoodie? It would be awkward at first, but it was necessary to keep Techno safe. With little struggle to put it on, thanks to his adrenaline, Dream pulled on the bottom as he walked towards the door. But as he fiddled with the lock stick to open it up, he gave Techno one quick glance. Did he mean it? Not wanting to find him dead out there? It wasn't often you heard it.</p><p>No time to ponder.</p><p>Instead the native left and closed the door right behind him, feet carrying him off away from the house, his shoulder purposely bumping into trees to mark them with a scent trail. Natives had strong noses, they'd pick it up not even two miles away. And on a slightly windy night like this? It should work out just fine.</p><p>Though it did feel weird and awfully restricting, he was just glad he could still run. Admittedly not being able to feel the wind on his torso while running was weird, carrying around built up body heat was kind of nice. And when he turned his head to see if he was being followed? His mood got better. The hunting party was following where he had left instead of Techno's camp, and if he lead the scent trail right to a cliff where he could confuse these people, it was an easy shit back home. All he had to do as tree hop, which his tribe specialized in. </p><p>This plan may have been too easy if his life wasn't on the line<br/><br/></p><p>Technoblade sat there for who knows how long, but zero tension lifted from his shoulders. He couldn't help to feel there was someone out there waiting for him, yet the silence said otherwise. He had to be safe. He peeked his head out while his grip tightened on the handle of the knife, but there was no one at all. It was almost unsettling. At the end though, he had nothing to worry about.. aside from Dream. Was Dream going to come back? Be alive but disappear for a few days like last time? Maybe it was just him over thinking, but at the moment this stranger was his only ally. Yeah sure, he would be perfectly fine without an ally. Just having one would be better.</p><p>The sound of running was no longer around. No rustling. Just the breeze. He couldn't let himself get distacted from what he was doing. All he was supposed to care about was his brother and staying alive. That's it. Techno ran a hand through his hair before he started up the fire again. He wasnt going to eat the bird that Dream already began eating. He'd owe him it if he actually can come back alive. So instead, Technoblade started cooking up another bird he caught. Was it the smartest thing to do after attracting a hunting party? Probably not, but the man needs to eat.</p><p>While he waited for the bird to properly cook, he took out a little "project" he was working on to pass some time. When he was around 16, he was taught how to make tiny guitars out of nature by a teacher. Since then, considering he wasnt able to buy a guitar at the time, he always made his own. Of course he was able to buy a legitimate guitar recently, but he used to make them so many times that the process kind of stuck with him.<br/><br/></p><p>It took two hours, maybe two for the pack of natives to be successfully lured away. But when they did take a different route towards the mountains, Dream knew it was safe to come down and start heading back. These hunting parties never doubled back, so he would be safe for a couple weeks before when they needed more food. And did Dream ever take the hoodie off? Surprisingly, no. It was warm, and softer on the inside than it was the out.</p><p>The native ran back just as quickly as he had left, which was more or less a normal running speed for him. His legs weren’t sore just yet, so he had a few more miles to go before his body would need a break. Luckily the shelter wasn’t far enough for that, despite heavy breaths and tired lungs. </p><p>As the distant light of Techno’s campfire came into view, something inside Dream egged him on to run a bit faster without consequence. Maybe it was because he wanted to see if he was still safe, or something else. Whatever it was, he didn’t want to dwell on it. It wasn’t a bad feeling, he knew that much. And just as he was instructed before, Dream’s knuckles gave the door a few knocks, mouth still exposed so his heavy breath didn’t moisten the inside of the skull mask. Nobody likes breathing inside a mask where water drips down onto your mouth. It’s just uncomfortable.<br/><br/></p><p>Technoblade sort of got an idea from the scenario he was put in. Although it was a reach, he'd probably be able to make that little log hiding spot more comfortable. Just sitting on hard ass dirt hurts you after a while, so he'd end up putting leaves and grass there when he had the time. Thank god his mind just came up with things to do while he was alone or else he'd be a paranoid mess.. Well, he kind of still was. Just the sound of knocking caused him to jump. Its been a few hours and he didnt hear a stampede of people. That could've been only one person. Techno rushed up to his feet and scrambled to the door. It was exactly who he thought it was. "Thank god." He exclaimed, walking back to the little guitar he was building which was set next to his fire.</p><p>"If you need water, i have a cup of some on that table." The man just ran around for two hours straight, of course he'd want water. Unless he was oddly immune to that, then good on him. "You can just set the hoodie down on the floor or whatever. I don't think i'll need to wear it tonight." There was a small breeze, but that was actually preferred. He hated falling asleep while warm, so he'd just stick with his shirt. Maybe he could even use his hoodie as a pillow because although his bed area was gradually getting more comfortable, it wasnt perfect. </p><p>A part of him was glad the other came back alive, but the other made him feel slightly guilty. The other ran for that long until that large group got off his ass. That was something, if he had to be honest, that he'd never do. Not for someone he doesnt know that personally.<br/><br/></p><p>Good to know he lead all of them away. It wasn’t often that <em>every </em>hunting native stayed with their respective party, especially when following a scent trail. Sometimes strays will break off just in case there were other animals around, keeping each other safe in a group. </p><p>It saved Dream having to silently murder a native.</p><p>So when he was invited in and offered water, who was he to offer? His mouth was starting to get pretty dry. And considering the door was fairly easy to understand, it was once again locked and the native practically B-lined it for the water, not even bothering to remove the hoodie as the skull mask shifted once again so he could down it all. It tasted fresh, but bearing in mind that Techno was obviously smart, maybe even advanced, he wasn’t surprised. Though that just begged the question stuck on his mind since he emerged from the metal bird; where did he come from? Maybe it was time to ask. </p><p>“Techno.” Dream started, the name rolling off his tongue a bit awkwardly. Though he hoped would time it’ll be spoken better. The cup was sat down and now Dream tried to piece together his question in a way Techno would understand. “Where..” already, his words fell short. It took a few moments of thought for him to come up with something. “The- the sky. You were flying, in the metal bird.” One of Dream’s hands gestures to the sky, hoping he was getting his point across. “Where?” These foreigners <em>had</em> to come from somewhere. Another island, maybe? Or something bigger? They had the ability to craft such massive objects, so clearly they needed lots of space to do so. All Dream knew was ocean, just going off of sight. And for a while he lived under the assumption that that is all there was until the first metal bird came crashing down.</p><p>For the first few seconds, Technoblade had no idea what the hell he was asking. Where? That was pretty open ended. Luckily, more was added to that sentence. He couldnt help but chuckle a little at the title metal sky bird. He still didnt know exactly what the other was asking, but he just gave a shot at answering. "Those metal birds are called airplanes. They take you from one part of the world to the other through the sky. I'm from a country called the United states, and I was trying to fly to a separate land known as Europe.." </p><p>His voice trailed off a bit. It was clear these natives didn't communicate much with the outside world. Maybe he had to explain a little more. "Incase you're confused, a country is a huge piece of land. It's way bigger than an Island." He began, taking a stick and drawing a shape into the ground. "This is the shape of my country. Now compared to islands, they are this much bigger than Islands. That is what makes them a country and sometimes even a continent." Making a circle as the representation of an island, it was drawn smaller.</p><p>"Countries are usually extremely populated. As of now, theres like.. 325 Million people living there. We also have things like technology. For example," The male pulled out his phone. It still worked, couldnt do many things considering the lack of wifi, but it was still useable. "We call this an Iphone. You can look at pictures and talk to people who are far away just by calling them." Techno put his phone back down incase the other would want to look at it. "But long story short, we didn't mean to crash here. We never do. Sometimes those big sky birds just get tired of flying and-- fall." He had a feeling his words just came in one ear then flew out the other, but hopefully the majority of it was understood.<br/><br/></p><p>Honestly nothing Techno just said made any sense. All he gathered was that his island was actually pretty small, and there were larger land masses out there. <em>Much </em>larger. Even then it fascinated him, and made him wonder if he’d ever get to see those places for himself. But like Techno said, he got here on a metal bird, and that one had crashed and died. </p><p>Dream looked to the phone that was placed in front of him, already wondering how the hell it emitted light so strongly. Curious, he picked it up, thumb accidentally swiping the screen left in the process. He saw his reflection, not knowing that he had opened up the camera app, and nearly scared himself at first. He’s only seen his reflection in the water, not this clearly before. “Ooh.. cool.” Dream repeated, finding that the word ‘cool’ really simplified the emotions he felt towards certain situations. Like this. Though as he moved the phone around the reflection caught different things. He turned, moving in slow circles until he saw Techno in the ‘IPhone’ reflection as well. “Techno!” The native chuckled under his breath. What a weird.. thing. It was clear who the advanced species here was, and oddly enough Dream was ok with that. </p><p>He lowered the phone and sat it gingerly back onto the ground, eyes catching the dirt map once again. The smaller island, that was his home. It sure was much smaller than he ever anticipated, no wonder these foreigners were such a rare occurrence. “We’re here.” Dream’s finger carefully touched the ground right by where the island was drawn, another line being slowly lead towards the United States. He really flew all that way? It didn’t look that far, actually. Then again he had little to no perception of how big the ocean truly was between bodies of land. Though his smile did fade a bit. Techno’s brother, he wanted to find him. And then what? Will he go home?<br/><br/></p><p>Dream stared at the map for a little while, squatting down like before as he sat on his heels, pondering how he’d even go back without another metal bird. Maybe he could help find his long lost brother. </p><p>“Your.. brother. I can help.” It was a risky decision considering going against the tribe’s leaders could result in death, but Techno is introducing him to such wild words of wonder and leaving lord of room to discover new things. He <em>wanted </em>to know, even if it broke tradition.</p><p>Dream looked so amused by everything. A little confused, sure, but this all was new to him. He didnt expect the guy to understand everything within only one explanation. "Yeah, thats a camera" He smiled softly, waving once his phone was directed towards himself. Then his focus was moved towards the map. It was probably unrealistic considering the distance, even with an understanding of how much the ocean covers. The island would be a bit further on an actual decent map, but he did what he could with the use of literal dirt and a stick. "Yup. It may not look like it, but the ocean is way bigger compared to this drawing." Technoblade chuckled a little before realizing the look on Dream's face. </p><p>Right. He had to find his brother. "Thank you. Im assuming you know your way around more than I do" Although he had a decent idea of what the size of this island is, that doesnt mean he want's to explore every last bit of it unnecessarily. Not with those hunting parties roaming around. Techno just wanted to find where his brother is then get the hell out of here... However "I saw some cave openings while I was cutting down trees. I think I'm gonna try and explore those." It sounded like a dumb idea, even to him, but there was this small knack of curiosity that he couldn't ignore. "Ya got any tips about how to get around those?"</p><p>Techno went over to grab his bow and put it in a small holder that he created out of vine, grass, sticks, and leaves. He figured that he wouldnt really need a weapon, but you can never be too safe. If he was going to experience combat in a cave of all places? Sure as hell he wanted to be armed. <br/><br/></p><p>The caves were something to take seriously. if you get lost, you can easily die. And if you aren't careful, you could fall down a hole or slip and split your head open on a rock. Techno didn't seem like he was very built for that kind of maneuvering around, especially in these island caves. Though he wasn't going to say no, that was his little brother that was taken. But was he ready to betray his own people? </p><p>Dream slowly crouched down again until he just sat on the ground completely, finger gently tapping the side of his skull mask in thought. It would ultimately lead to Techno getting his family back, and maybe even a way off of this island. But what about himself? Truth be told, the native wasn't very social here, in fact he spent 80% of his time alone and away from the others. He just couldn't fit in. But if it ever came to light that he helped the foreigner escape with the little boy, he.. he wasn't sure what would happen to him. Death, no doubt. But it was the method of execution that scared him the most.</p><p>No matter. Techno didn't belong here, and neither does that little boy. </p><p>"Caves.." Dream looked up at Techno, trying to figure out a way around this. There wasn't a chance in hell he was letting him go in there alone. "Two days. I will be here, and help you. Through the caves." Not a lot of things got to the native, but this? It was terrifying. Not for himself, but for Techno. It was like a toddler who just learned how to walk trying to conquer going across hot coals.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Lost and found</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The two days that had passed felt like eternity. Dream had been through the caves countless times, but never in context like this. It could cost him his life, and Techno’s. If he wasn’t there to help him around, the foreigner had no chance of surviving down there.</p><p>To an extent, he knew his way around. His mind kind of worked as a cps and marked down the locations of each cave. This one, near the creek, just seemed to be the easiest to reach. Pulling out the lighter, the pink haired male made his way inside. It was.. quiet. There was no sound other than his own footsteps and the occasional falling pebble. It sent a slight chill down his spine, an uncontrollable click of his tongue following after. He was probably on some high horse when he first found this place because compared to now, he could feel his nervous system swirling and his tics trying to make a front. Technoblade just tried ignoring it and just continued on. There were a few confusing twists and turns. At each path, he carved a quick arrow into the wall to prevent getting lost. Though the arrows soon ended up pointing to something unsettling.</p><p>At first he was happy to find what he had, considering there were scattered torches and it wasn't just pitch black. Yet again, that joy didn't last very long. The light unmasked a group of sticks that were shoved into the ground and topped off with skulls.. Human skulls. "Is this some religious shit?" He asked with a hint of disgust in his voice. In no means did he wish to be disrespectful, but if there were any possibility his brother's head could end up on top of one of these? He might just kill somebody.</p><p>Dream, of course, stayed close. Apparently Techno wanted to leave now, which was fine. He’d just have to keep his ears peeled for noises that wasn’t the two of them. Though when Techno made those little noises with his tongue, traveling became a tad more confusing. He was right there, why did he need those audio cues? Either way, Dream clicked his tongue back, just once, to signal that he was still there. Maybe Techno just needed more assurance considering he was completely new here, his fear a distinct factor of that. </p><p>Though when they made it to the room with the skulls, Techno’s question didn’t go without answer. Though Dream did take some offense to it considering the crude way it was asked, and the obvious tone of disgust in his voice. In the end, it wasn’t taken personally. Instead the native just huffed and stood up straight as he approached one of the sticks. “No. Our ancestors.” He reached up and tapped the skull covering his own face. “My father-“ his voice was cut short by the distant sounds of running and heavy breathing, even the occasional grunt or outcry. Dream moved quick, his arms grabbing Techno and moving out of the light, tucking into a corner of the cave. He kept the foreigner against his body with a hand lightly covering his mouth to prevent any more noise from coming out whilst still allowing him to breath. </p><p>Dream steadied his own breathing as best he could as the group got closer, managing the quietest <em>“shhh...”</em> he could muster</p><p>Technoblade felt a wave of relief hit him the second that Dream had said no. That meant he doesn't have to worry about-- that happening. His finger grazed over one of them, another chill being sent down his spine. This was a legitimate human skull. It's not everyday you get to see, let alone touch, one of those. "Err--, what about your fathe?-" His own sentence was cut off as well upon being yanked somewhere. His ears didn't catch onto the distant noises until they got a little closer, so thank god for Dream or else he'd probably be surrounded by natives with no good intentions. </p><p>He made sure not to breathe heavily and mainly just used his nose. Were you genuinely supposed to be quiet in these places? If so, a tic attack would not work in his favor. "You think I could shoot one of their legs with an arrow?" He whispered almost just as quietly when Dream told him to shh. Oh, yeah he probably should be doing that right now. "Never mind, scratch that." Something in him was telling Techno that he wasn't taking this as seriously as he should be. After all, one of the tribes chased Dream for two hours thinking that he was a foreigner. Despite doing a lot of sports involving running when he was in highschool, he'd stand no chance trying to run full sprint for that long.<br/><br/></p><p>Dream didn't dare move an inch. The only movement he allowed was the subtle expansion of his chest as he breathed, his exhales barely making any noise within the mask. Even if it was just him to walk out with the others, they'd be able to smell that something wasn't right. </p><p>The group wasn't very large, only three natives who were dressed in only loin cloths running into the room, their grunts and audio cues the only thing able to be heard. That and the words 'little boy' being spoken softly to one another. He was deeper inside the cave, that is for sure. And as if the stars had aligned, one of the natives left for the exit of the cave while the other two stayed, now situating themselves on their knees beside the sticks and skulls. </p><p>A perfect time to attack.</p><p>Dream's hand <em>very </em>slowly moved away from Techno's mouth, only to lightly tap his shoulder to get his attention. While Dream didn't take his eyes off of the two natives that stayed behind, one finger then gently tapped Techno's spear, his shin, then to the native on the right with a silent gesture. Shooting their leg wouldn't be a bad idea. </p><p>It wouldn't take much for him to take the native on the left down, either<br/><br/></p><p>Fuck not taking this seriously. There had to be only one person they'd refer to as little boy in this hell hole and he knew exactly who it was. Almost as soon as he was gestured to shoot, he took his bow out and fired two arrows. One was aimed towards the native's spine in hopes to cause either paralyze or shock, then another quick arrow aimed towards the ankle to stagger them. His arrow heads were not anywhere close to blunt either. They were carved to lunge deep into muscle.</p><p>Dropping the bow because it was no longer of big importance, he shifted to his knife in order to slice the blade into the side of the native's throat. Technoblade, after feeling first hand how strong Dream was, trusted him to take out the second one. Though he had to admit, once his fight or flight instinct kicked down? The fact he just took a life began to sink in. Was it deserved? Probably, but how is he supposed to feel? It's not everyday that you just kill someone like that... Whatever, he had to remind himself he took a life to potentially <em>save</em> one.</p><p>Techno quickly retreated to get his bow. The last thing they needed was the native who left the cave to retrieve it. At that, he made sure to take the arrows out of the body as well. The tips were slightly scuffed now, but still useable.<br/><br/></p><p>The very second Techno shot that bow and arrow, Dream moved to his respective target. These natives were from a neighboring tribe, so he didn’t mind taking their life. Death wasn’t as mourned here, not if you were a chief. He wasn’t sure if Techno felt the same about it, though. </p><p>The native took two large strides before jumping, his legs locking around his target’s torso from behind as he grabbed the side of his head, fingers locking inside the other native’s cheeks to fishhook him. Dream snarled as he gained control of his wildish movements, and in one split second his head was forcibly turned so far to the right that a sickening crack was all that followed, a body falling to the ground just as quickly as he had jumped it. Dream stood up again, wiping his fingers off on his torn capris that were slightly dirtier than yesterday. He should probably wash them, though now wasn’t the time to think about it. Without even the slightest care of his hair being messy or any smaller limb potentially injured, Dream placed a gentle hand on Techno’s shoulder before beginning to speed walk right where those other natives had come from, the ceiling gradually falling lower and lower until he had to walk on all fours. </p><p>Though Dream did almost slip when his hand went down onto something baseball shaped and slipped, and once he got his ground curious eyes peered through the eyeholes in the skull, looking at what he had grabbed. The skull of an infant, not any older than one, judging by the size. Which meant they were getting close, and as much as that sounded like good news, it only brought a bigger challenge than anything they’ve faced. They had to go through mama, or “Virginia” as per what those other foreigners called her. But, to the natives, she is what cared for the babies.</p><p>Dream stopped, head turning so he could look back at Techno. He turned his body so he sat on the ground and faced the other, hand patting the ground right in front of him. “Sit.” The native whispered.<br/><br/></p><p>Thank god Technoblade wasn't claustrophobic or else he'd probably be at tears the second he had to start crawling. The space for the cave only got tighter and tighter, which was unsettling, but he's also never been in a cave before. Though the male did have  to stop for a second upon noticing that strands of hair were swaying too close to the lighter's blaze, causing him to have to put his hair up. All he can say is that he knew to do this from unfortunate experience. Fire and long hair do not mix well. </p><p>Catching up again wasn't very hard, though the more he moved the more he couldn't help but to cringe at the feeling of dirt rubbing against his pants. If there was one thing he hated the most, it was stained clothes. Even after all this time at the Island, he made sure to avoid his clothes getting stained. Maybe it was a sensory issue or some shit, but he was careful about it. "You alright?" Techno whispered when Dream seemed to stumble over something. His eyes were hasty to shoot over to the object in the other's hand, and it just fed into the prolonged uneasiness. "Oh. That's lovely-" To be completely truthful, it was the skull of someone much younger than any of his siblings so he can't say the infant skull was <em>his</em> concern. Still kind of unsettling nonetheless.</p><p>"What? You tired?" He took a seat where he was directed, a confused expression laid out on his face. They were trying to find someone who was clearly in this thing, so you could say he was a tad bit impatient.<br/><br/></p><p>Dream shook his head when asked that question. Please, the man was anything *but* tired. His heart was racing, both out of fear and adrenaline. He’s never seen Virginia before, not with his own eyes. But he could smell her, even hear the very distant and multiple steps of her feet as she roamed her cave, littered with the carcasses and unconscious bodies of native children, mostly infants. It was enough to send chills down his spine. </p><p>The native looked right at Techno’s face once he was settled onto the ground. At least the best he could be in a cave. “shhh..” the native hushed again, this time his voice impossible to be heard unless you were as close as Techno was. A pair of hands reached up to undo the straps behind his head which had undone the skull from his face, cool cave air hitting freckled skin as he removed the headpiece from himself. Dream’s arms extended, both hands carefully handing the mask over to Techno, silently asking him to wear it. “Distraction. She won’t recognize you. No smell. Only sight.” That was one thing he was thankful for. Virginia won’t be able to smell Techno’s scent, and he knew no other natives dared to come into this den unwarranted unless they <em>wanted</em> to die. </p><p>Dream’s mask meant a lot to him, he’s had it for nearly five years now and only took it off once every few weeks to wash and dry it. After that, it was back on his face. Truth be told it felt weird, but for Techno’s sake it would <em>need</em> to be worn. If there was one thing Virginia knew how to spot, it was weather or not you were a native or an intruder, and Techno most definitely wasn’t from around here. The dead give away would most definitely be his hair, clothing questionable, but if they remained out of her sight, they should be ok. The mask was just a last second resort just in case they were spotted. Dream reached forward and carefully brushed a loose strand of pink hair out of Techno’s face, thumb gingerly grazing his cheek in the process to wipe away blood splatter. “Do not take it off until I say.”<br/><br/></p><p>For some reason, Technoblade felt like he was supposed to look away when Dream took off his mask. His mind just adjusted to the thought of him having no face at all behind that mask. It was strange. "Are you sure..?" He whispered, almost to himself. Was he sure he wanted to wear this? Hygiene of the mask was the last thing he cared about, it just felt like he was intruding something. Though he did understand the benefit of him wearing the mask rather than Dream. "Right.. I wont" He sighed softly before taking off his necklace and gently putting it around the man's neck. "Right in here," the male began, pointing to a small square hanging off the metal chains. "It's a special mineral. My mom gave it to me when i was 14. It protects you from, err.., hostile energy." Now personally he never believed in this due to spiritual reasons, but for some reason, right now he did. </p><p>"Think of it as a grateful exchange." Technoblade reasoned before putting the mask onto his face. It felt a little pokey, but aside from that it was a comfortable fit. It also kind of hid a bit of his bright hair since it was in a manbun at the moment. "Wait-- Who's <em>she?</em>" Of course now it clicked in his head to ask, but he regretted it as soon as he did. "Whatever, i'll figure out soon. Lets just go." It was kind of weird. He gave Dream the necklace without even knowing what nor who the threat was. It was probably just him acting on a gut feeling. He couldn't imagine why he would have been given the mask for any reason that wasn't important. So it was as he called it. A grateful exchange.<br/><br/></p><p>Dream, to say the least, was surprised when Techno took the chain and put it around his neck, the same chain that caught his attention the first night they met. Or rather had an unfortunate meeting at. But it was that unfortunate meeting that sparked a connection, a friendship he never expected himself to have, especially with a foreigner. It was a <em>pleasant</em> surprise. One that’ll certainly be cherished. </p><p>Dream’s hand gently held the square bit of the necklace. Although he wasn’t sure what a mineral was, it sounded important. And if it was important to Techno, it would be important to him, too. </p><p>Of course time couldn’t be wasted on feelings right now. They had to get moving. </p><p>Dream turned his head back around and continued to silently move along, breath even and steady as the end of the little cave tunnel opened up to a much larger den, stacked with lots of carcasses that made even Dream’s nose crinkle a bit. Of course Virginia couldn’t be seen, which was either good or bad. He’d much rather see her, and not the other way around. </p><p>This either ended two ways; they get out with Techno’s brother, or all three of them are dead before the sun could wake up. Dream looked back to Techno one last time and held his hand out to the man. The last thing he needed was for the two to separate and get lost, because Techno simply couldn’t survive on his own out here. That was impossible. From the darkness, just before the torchlight could end in it’s vicinity, a creature- no, <em>abomination</em> stood in the dim light, body nearly incomprehensible as limbs and body parts moved about, chittering and clicking as many a leg moved slowly accords the cave floor in a mozy. She was large, much larger than Dream and Techno combined.<br/><br/></p><p>Fear started to take over his body. It felt like there was a sudden aura change. Maybe it was because it went back to dead silence, or the fact Dream was concerned enough to give him his mask, but he hated it either way. Technoblade didn't hesitate much to hold the man's hand, not wanting to go anywhere where the native wasn't. Even he could tell that would be a death trap.</p><p>And he was right.</p><p>Before the both of them stood a-- whatever the fuck that thing was, but he could only assume this is the "she" he referred to. She was huge. Possibly six legs.. Almost resembled a spider. Though the part he hated the most? That he didn't listen. About three months ago, he heard a rumor revolving this thing from indigenous people when telling about the suspicion of this flight crashing. Just like every lore horror story, he thought of it as bullshit. Well now he was right in front of it. Why didn't he listen? </p><p>Techno began to feel a little nauseated. The way she sounded. The way she looked. The assumptions that ran through his head on how she killed people. It all set his stomach into a whirlpool.. but he wasn't going to let that get the best of him. Not only did he want his brother to escape this thing alive, he sure as hell wanted Dream to. The native never had to let him live during their first encounter. At that, he didn't even have to help him. But he did.</p><p>The male gave the native's hand a small squeeze for assurance, whether that assurance was for Dream or himself. Though just to get it across, he whispered to dream as quietly as he could manage. "If she spots us, I want you to run as <em>fast </em>as you can. Even if she catches me in the process. Just promise you'll come back for my brother. Neither of you deserve to die down here."<br/><br/></p><p>Dream couldn’t take his eyes off of her. While the sight of her gruesome figure didn’t strike fear in him, the conditioned terror that was instilled into him since he could walk was most definitely there. He grew up being taught to avoid her for numerous reasons, yet here he was, about to steal from her. </p><p>Dream’s eyes immediately fell to Techno when he said this, however. Did he really just.. say that? As if it was an every day thing? The native found himself staring at Techno, almost in silent awe. Nobody’s ever offered to do such a thing before, or.. even stick around him long enough to want to do so. Granted, it may have been just for his brother’s sake, but it was still odd to hear. But it wasn’t bad.</p><p>“I.. o-okay.” Dream’s voice was unsure, but when the clicking sounded from the mutated native, he knew he couldn’t hang himself on that notion for much longer. He can do that later, when they <em>all</em> get out of this cave. </p><p>Slowly his steps began forward again, stuttering and hesitating whenever Virginia moved or even made a noise that was louder than the others. It was clear she was getting agitated, it wasn’t every day that strays wandered into such a forbidden section of the island. It was enough to make his fingers intertwine with Techno’s own, not wanting him to stray too far behind even if they were holding hands already. Dream stopped just for second upon seeing a boy hanging from the ceiling by his ankle, secured tightly by a rope. He didn’t look dead, just unconscious. Was that Techno’s brother? He was the most alive looking body in here besides himself and the man he held hands with.</p><p>It was clear both of them were scared, and that terrified Technoblade even more. To be completely honest, Techno wasn't the type of person to feel frightened. Shocked, sure, but that emotion was almost always replaced with hostility. In the sense that he'd rather start to protect himself than fear the 'threat.' This time though? He looked at it as whatever happens, happens. If this thing were to capture him, he'd just have to accept it. Techno tried to avoid thinking about a possible fate. His eyes wandered around, glance flying by the spider like woman whenever she got into view. He just didn't want to look at her.</p><p>They have frozen many times. Such as when Virginia got loud or seemed to be moving around in an odd fashion. Yet he could tell something was different this time. Dream was looking up, so of course he followed. To his surprise, it was Chris. It was dim, but even from below he could see the marks scattered all over his body. The poor kid must've experienced being used as a punching bag before ending up in this cave.. or den? Though his body didn't move much. Probably, hopefully unconscious. "That's him. How do we get him down?" </p><p>He was willing to do anything to get his brother down from there. Whether it be something simplistic or-- a little  bit risky. Technoblade just needed to know he was okay. He needed to finally be able to let his mind rest. Though that will probably only happen once they get out of this place.</p><p>Dream swallowed and moved his free hand over his mouth in hopes of smothering the sound of staggered breathing. Technoblade’s brother was alive, but- but in what condition? He looked like he was beaten, or scratched. </p><p>The native took one more step forward, though his body flinched when something grabbed his ankle. Both eyes darted down only to find one of the mutant infants grabbing at him, as a lever to get closer to Techno. Which was <em>not </em>happening. Though he acted without thinking and kicked his foot out to get the baby off of him, which made more noise than not. Ultimately, it gave away their position. Dream growled and just stood up, now making a break for it while pulling Techno behind him. </p><p>“Go! The rope, climb it!” Dream changed positions so he had been running behind Techno instead, making sure he didn’t fall behind as Virginia got closer and closer. <em>Too close</em>. The native exclaimed as he gave Techno a shove, though not enough to knock him down. If he had to choose between his own life and Techno and his brother, the option would obviously be Techno and the boy. He even said it himself, he’d do the same. </p><p>Dream let go of Techno’s hand, his feet sliding a bit on the slick rock to stop himself. He’d make a good distraction, long enough for the two to get the hell out of here. And himself? Well.. the hopes were high. But whatever the outcome, all he wanted was for the two to get out of here <em>safely</em>. It wasn’t until recently that Dream started to open his eyes as realize that there was more than just- just this <em>small</em> island. He wanted to see more, and because of Techno, he gained one more mindset: <em>creativity</em> and <em>wonder</em>. It was a magical feeling, he had lots to thank him for. </p><p>Call it payback.<br/><br/></p><p>Holy shit, that was loud. That was way too loud. One noise after the other and he could tell that they definitely caught someone's attention. Technoblade ran as fast as he could towards that rope, but no matter how fast he went, he heard her getting closer. Of course she would be getting close. The bitch had multiple, disgusting legs. </p><p>Too many things were trying to run around in his head. Dream had pushed him, but his messy thought process translated it out as a panicked action. "Ranboo! Dude!" He shouted once he began to climb up. "Come on man, I need you to snap out of it!" The teenager was still limp with hardly any movement. Lord. Was he going to have to carry this kid out of here? Well he was now at a thin ledge, Ranboo’s body hanging only inches in front of him. The poor boy was horribly beaten.. would probably be in a lot of pain when he wakes up. </p><p>Technoblade took out his knife and began to cut at the rope, one hand holding onto whatever would remain so his brother's body won't fall to the floor. "I need you to wake up. Please." If he didn't, there were two concerns in his mind. One, his running speed would be reduced. Two, he'd never wake up at all. "RANBOO!" Okay, that got a little eyebrow scrunch, but god they were being loud. The knife finally cut through the rope and the sudden weight of the body tugged Technoblade down a little, causing him to have to grip onto a rock with his free hand. "Ran, you better wake up or I swear to fucking god I will drop you head first." </p><p>That.. surprisingly worked.</p><p>The boy woke up with a gasp so harsh that if he had breathed in any harder, he'd probably flatten his lungs. "Stop moving, stop. moving." He was frantic, throwing his body around until recognizing the voice speaking to him. Not that he could blame him.<br/><br/></p><p>Dream gasped as he managed to hold onto one of the legs trying to bash his skull in, knuckles turning white and arm shaking horribly as he used every bit of strength he had to keep this creature from doing him in. The yelling from Techno was concerning at first, but considering he had just told the boy to stop moving, Ranboo was ok. He was alive. </p><p>That’s all that mattered for now. </p><p>Unfortunate relief got ahold of him, and Dream’s hands had slipped. Thankfully the pointed leg landed a mere inch away from his head, which gave him time to try and crawl away. “The rope!!” The cried out, voice cracking and breaking as exhaustion was quick to take his mind by the throat, as well as his body. He wasn’t fast enough. One leg successfully came down onto his chest, easily crushing his ribs and breaking some skin. He couldn’t even cry out, the pressure won his lungs forced every molecule of air out of his body. All he could do was try and gasp as pain took over, freezing as he was pinned to the ground. </p><p>But with pain came adrenaline, and Dream’s will to live came back with a fiery vengeance. The native kicked harder at one of Virginia’s legs, stuttering her movements enough for him to leave, chest bleeding a tad as a bruise already began to form. Good thing the injury was more internal than external. With one last burst of energy Dream grabbed a rock and threw it as hard as he could, successfully stunning the mutation, which gave him enough time to make it back to Techno and Ranboo</p><p>Both sweaty hands grabbed the rope, his breath heavy and now uneven as he struggled to get his breath back. “Can- can you climb?” He looked to Techno with wide eyes, hoping he’d be able to see through that mask.<br/><br/></p><p>He's hardly been awake for a minute and tears were already masking his entire face, but he did keep still. Technoblade needed him not to move so he could untangle him from the extra restraints. Once that was done, he kept his brother close who seemed to have no issue with that. Even if the hold pressed down on some painful bruises. "Where.. where did you get that mask?" His voice was low and quivery. He's definitely been put through something. "I got it from a native.. Speaking of which--" Techno peeked down the ledge just in time to see the woman stomp down onto Dream's chest. Now the older brother let out a gasp, a hand going to cover his mouth which really just ended up covering his mask. For a split second, he thought that impact had surely killed him. "Get up, Dream. Get up.." He whispered, mainly to himself. Thank god he did.</p><p> "Got it from a native as in <em>killed</em> one?" It was not the best time to be asking questions, but Ranboo was hardly caught up on anything. "No.., no-- Please, ask me things later. Uhm- here, take this." He handed the younger his knife so he'd have something to protect himself with, and Ranboo was very quick to try and use it.  "GET AWAY" The knife was suddenly swung, but Techno put his hand around the blade. Crimson blood dripped down the sides of his hand from how hard he was trying to hold it still. "But- He's--" <br/>"Don't. He's not goin to hurt you." Once he could feel Ranboo's force lightening, he released the knife from his hold. The younger brother just went silent, though his eyes failed to leave Dream. He was going to keep an eye on him.</p><p>Techno just rolled his eyes, looking down at his hand, then the native. "Yeah.. So can he. What about you? I just saw your ribs get fuckin bashed in."<br/><br/></p><p>Dream was fully prepared to take a blade to his now broken torso, but what he wasn’t expecting was for Techno to grab the blade like it was nothing, not even flinching even when his hand obviously began to bleed. Just to protect him. </p><p>No matter. These things can be thought about once they get out. These new and confusing feelings weren’t more important than keeping themselves alive, and Virginia had realized where they were standing. But could he climb? He’ll find out. “Yes. Go.” Dream put a hand on Techno’s shoulder to persuade him closer to the rope. They couldn’t stand around and talk about this, because with Virginia’s distressed cries more natives were <em>bound</em> to show up. “More are coming. <em>Climb</em>.” The islander tried his best to make his voice as persuasive as possible without actually raising it, because when you’re trying to avoid a monster, that’s all you could really do. </p><p>Both arms raised to grab the rope, though they immediately fell a couple inches the second his hands went above chest level. Sharp pain was sent all throughout his chest, which wasn’t a good sign if he were to be climbing. But for Techno and his brother’s survival, especially after this incident, he needed to. He <em>needed</em> to.<br/><br/></p><p>Dream didn't have to tell either of them twice. Ranboo wanted out of here, and although climbing with a fairly injured body was difficult, he pushed through. Spending another hellish minute down here was the last thing he needed. Techno went second, the burn from his hand finally kicking in when he grabbed onto the rope. Loose bristles dug into the cut, moving around inside of it. A few tears stained his face, but he tried his best to ignore it. </p><p>Then he thought about Dream.</p><p>His eyes glanced down at the native who was still at the ground. He could tell by his expression that he was determined, but that wasn't enough for him. "Ran. I need you to hold onto these." Technoblade gave him all of his weapons, including his bow and spear. They would weigh him down too much with what he was about to attempt to do. "Why?"<br/>"Just keep climbing. I'll see you up there." Using his better hand, the foreigner slid down. "This might hurt." With the hasty prewarning, he squatted down and quickly lifted Dream onto his back. He was-- not light to say the least. "You can let go once we get up there, but until then I need you to hold on." </p><p>Grabbing onto the rope this time sent waves of stinging and what felt like rough pinches. He could describe it as if the rope was brushing against his literal flesh with each movement, but he knew he was going to reach the top of this thing.  All three of them were. "How's it lookin up there, Ran?" He asked from the now new distance, wanting an idea of how far he'd have to climb. "Not far! We're almost up!"</p><p>Thank god he was right. It took some catching up to do, but they soon were met with a new ledge. "Where do we go from here, Dream?" Technoblade asked while setting him down.<br/><br/></p><p>The second he and Techno made eye contact Dream knew he wasn’t getting left behind. He didn’t expect the foreigner to put him before his brother, but he was both relieved and concerned that he did what he did. Because, in all honesty, Dream wasn’t going to make it up the rope on his own. Not in his condition. But with Techno’s injured hand grabbing the rope couldn’t have been easy, that much was clear with the pained tears leaking down his cheeks. But by god did he hold on, and he held on tight, arms and legs wrapping around the other’s torso the best he could with shortened breath </p><p>It was a long journey, but once they got to the top and he was settled down, the group finally caught the chance to breathe. While it hurt like a bitch that breathing could save their life if they had to take off running again. But to where? He wasn’t sure if the island knew where Techno’s shelter was, because thank god he built it on a piece of land where nobody really scouted. For now, it was safe. “Home. Your home.” The native stood to his feet but stopped upon remembering Techno’s hand. If it wasn’t given immediate medical attention then infection will surely seep in, without a doubt. “Wait.” Back to his knees he went, and by some stroke of luck, Dream began picking at a plant with a more cow-ear shape. Aloe Vera, great for fighting off infections. The plant was broken in half to reveal a clear gel-like substance, and thank god it was fresh. </p><p>Dream looked back to Techno and held his free hand out, fingers moving a bit to silently ask for the other’s injured hand. His eyes flicked to Ranboo, looking the boy over just to make sure he didn’t need the same treatment. Unfortunately his people weren’t too kind, but what he didn’t understand was.. how could they be so cruel to a child? And somebody who wasn’t from here, nontheless?<br/><br/></p><p>Home. Okay, he figured, but where the hell was that? "What does he mean by <em>home</em>?" Ranboo questioned, still a bit breathless. "I built a little place.. If I wanted to find you I had to somewhat think about myself first." Technoblade answered truthfully. He would've gotten no where if he just ran around cluelessly. Both of them most likely would have gotten killed if he were that careless. "It should have enough room for you." The younger nodded, lifting the strap of the bow and arrow holder over his shoulder and to the other. The spear, he decided to hold onto. </p><p>The native began to pick at something which gave the older of the two some time to act on something. "Can ya give me the knife for a second?" He asked, already holding his good hand out. The cries of Virginia could still be well heard from down there. That and some new sounds that he could only assume were more natives. Just to be safe, though it would probably be unfortunate for any other victim, he cut through the rope. Now did he doubt that they knew how to climb up walls? Not for a second. But it wouldn't be as efficient.</p><p>By the time the rope was cut through, Dream seemed to be ready with whatever he was taking from the ground. Techno gave him his hand without much hesitation which seemed to surprise Ranboo, yet at the same time put him at ease. How could he be from the same kind of people that dug their nails deep into his skin when he was trying to run away from them? Kicked his body in when he was already on the ground? Seeing kindness being displayed was comforting, but part of him just believed it was an act to screw them over later.<br/><br/></p><p>The tip of Dream’s fingers brushed against the back of Techno’s wrist before they gently encased it, making sure not to touch the gash on his hand. It didn’t look deep enough to touch bone, but it’ll definitely need to be wrapped after this. As <em>soon</em> as they all get back to Technoblade’s shelter, no later. “The gel, it helps you.” Dream’s other hand carefully squeezed some of the natural substance into the foreigner’s palm, watching as the gelatinous texture slowly melted in the heat of his skin. His thumb, the one that belonged to the hand that held Techno’s wrist, slowly and gingerly rubbed it into the wound, the gel turning a light shade of red as it mixed with fresh blood. It even made Dream want to wince. </p><p>After spreading some of the gel onto the pads of Techno’s fingers, his free hand set the plant down on his lap before moving over his friend’s hand and coaxing it to close into a fist to keep the air out. Dream looked back to Techno’s face and offered him a smile. Small and hopeful with the intent that it’ll offer some comfort. </p><p>That eye contact left to Ranboo once again, and although it was clear he needed the medical attention, he couldn’t force it onto the boy. He didn’t trust the native, and in all honesty he couldn’t blame him. After what he must have experienced trusting anything on this island that wasn’t his brother was a tall order, taller than any tree ever grown here. </p><p>“Are you hurt?” Was all Dream could ask. He wasn’t sure what words to use in order to make himself seem genuine, even though he did want to help that boy. It was a sickening curiosity, but he wanted to know what his people did to him. Maybe, just maybe, some day he could ask.</p><p>Oh that hurt. That hurt like a bitch. As a matter of fact, almost everything did. Even something as small as a breeze of air brushing against his wound in the wrong way. But he knew he needed this, so he just held his hand as still as possible and let Dream tend to it. Though seeing so much fresh blood leak out of hand was impossible to not cringe at. The only time he's ever experienced bleeding like this was from his nose plus a busted lip, and that alone sucked. "Thanks." Technoblade returned the small smile, keeping his hand in a gentle fist.</p><p>Ranboo was ready to turn away, but knew that something was going through the natives head the second his eyes laid on him. He shifted the weight on his heels around, occasionally avoiding eye contact. While looking at the ground, an unamused chuckle left him. "Psshh, noo. Im perfectly fine. Not like I was hanging from a ceiling or anything--, but thank you for the concern." The boy then took the knife from Techno and traded it with the spear. The older brother understood what that meant. He was ready to leave. "Mm, let's go before we get jumped."</p><p>The cave thankfully had a pretty straight direction. There weren't many twists or turns and land was easy to get to. Technoblade was a bit hesitant to continue on incase the cries of Virginia attracted any Natives, but it just seemed to be the three of them. Nonetheless, he wasted no time getting to his base with the occasional paranoid look behind the shoulder. Though it was safe to say they could finally catch a breath once they made it inside. Ranboo on one hand looked pleased. "You built this?? Holy shit."</p><p>Although the brunet was busy being astonished, Technoblade could feel his heart caving in on itself. Now that his brother was out in the light, he could see every single injury on his body. It was.. really hard to look at.</p><p>Dream only looked at Ranboo when the other had looked away. His condition was horrible, worse than what he’s experienced before. Or at least recently. Medical contact wasn’t in their vocabulary yet, so he kept the Aloe Vera plant on him so it could be used later by Ranboo himself or Techno. For now he’d do his best to support them from a distance. </p><p>As soon as they got to the base Dream’s eyes shut tight when the morning sunlight hit his eyes. The native was a nightwalker, nocturnal. He rarely saw the sunlight unless he stayed up too late and didn’t go to bed on time. The man hasn’t seen the afternoon sun, or even noon, in years. Needless to say, he was exhausted. </p><p>Dream took the Aloe out of his pocket and set it down on the wooden cabinet, eyes half lidded as a way to both block out the sunlight and to accommodate them wanting to just shut completely. While his chest did hurt for a number of reasons, he couldn’t sleep just yet. His body was built for these kinds of physical challenges, Techno and Ranboo’s were not. He looked to the siblings, one hand holding the bottom of the chain necklace. “You should sleep. Rest. I will keep watch.” Lord knows how many natives were going to be out looking for them, especially now that it was day. </p><p>Dream looked to Ranboo now, his back returned to its normal hunched state. “You too. You’re hurt, very bad. I’m.. sorry.” Words weren’t going to take that pain away, he knew it. And when the two woke up, he’d be clear to leave and sleep at his own den. Or.. whatever spot on the island sheltered him for the night.<br/><br/></p><p>Sleep was somehow the first yet last thing Technoblade wanted to do. Too many objectives were running through his head, and although he was sure his brother also needed rest, he wanted to do something first. Ranboo just gave a nod to the apology, standing close to the older foreigner. "You should as well. Don't stress yourself out." He glanced at his hand which was still bleeding. Not a shocker. The man only sighed before taking off his shirt and placing it on the ground, tearing bits of it off as a bandage for both himself and Ranboo.  Whatever was remaining he tied around his waist. The nights might be colder now, but they didn't need infected wounds. "Are you not going to eat?"</p><p>The brunet's eyes lit up at one single word. He didn't even notice there was food, and as soon as he had seen where it was hung, he dug into it. Poor kid was starving. "Yeah-- There's some water too." Technoblade stretched before wandering out the door. He stayed close by as he was still paranoid, but he needed to make two more beds. Well, whatever you want to call them. Things to sleep on that don't feel as terrible as dirt.</p><p>Techno came back with a shit ton of leaves, sticks, and a few rabbits since he needed the fur. It took a while, but the time paid off. There were now two more beds. "Alright, Ran. Your bed,, thingy-- is set up. Sleep whenever you want." Ranboo also was quick to lay down. He wasn't dead tired, but he wanted to be able to finally, legitimately rest. "And you too, Dream. You don't have to stay, but if you want to, I made ya one."<br/><br/></p><p>Dream couldn’t say he felt comforted when Techno went off on his own to gather materials, or at least that’s what he assumed he was doing. After that little fiasco in the caves being outside wasn’t going to be safe anymore. Even more so for Techno, and not anymore for Dream. They knew their scents, and they will be hunted after. How long was he thinking about this for? Long enough for him to snap out of his thoughts when Techno came back with what he needed for a place to sleep. Actually, two of them. </p><p>Dream looked to Techno as he said this, tired eyes widening a bit more in surprise. He really has a place for him to sleep here..? Hell, who was he to decline? Sleeping by himself didn’t sound particularly safe right now. “Ok. Thank you.” It wasn’t often he got to say those words, so it was a nice mold breaker off of his tongue. He could sleep through the day, sleep off the worst of his pain, and take care of it when the sun goes down. </p><p>Slowly, his feet carried him to the bed made for him, one hand over the awfully bruised incave on his ribcage. But once he laid down and rested his torso, the effects of sleep were quick to nullify the pain. For now, at least. Nontheless it was nice, and he fell asleep holding the bottom of the chain necklace that, supposedly, fought off evil. Maybe it could help him sleep better. Living awful days gave you awful dreams, after all. </p><p>It didn’t take long for Dream to fall asleep, breath steady again, only staggering every other pattern. The warmth of the camp, being around Techno’s company and safety, trust he hasn’t had a chance to make, all of it. All of it aided Dream through a healthy sleep cycle, full of dreams that weren’t bad. They weren’t scary. They were <em>good</em>. Dream’s of him and Techno not just surviving on this island, but <em>living</em>. Dreams of what the outside world looked like, as inaccurate as those thoughts were. All in all, it was the best sleep he’s ever had. Watching over the camp at night was a very fair trade when he’d wake back up.<br/><br/></p><p>The two brothers honestly didn't fall asleep too far behind when Dream did. Ranboo was pretty well rested considering he hardly spent any of his time awake, but there was nothing more for him to do other than sleep once the older shut his eyes. It was an oddly peaceful sleep. The first time within these few days that he hasn't had some nightmare or fever dream. Though not having to hang by his feet probably helped with that. Techno on the other hand? Sleeping came easy, but his brain was acting as if it were taunting him. Reminders of the plane crash and play throughs of the events that happened earlier today. </p><p>Eventually it caused him to wake up in a cold sweat, but time without a doubt passed by. The moon was up in the sky and shining bright. Technoblade gulped hard, running a hand through his hair. He hasn't dreamt about something like that in who knows how long. He wasn't really one to have imaginative nightmares like that. Just for comfort, he looked over at Ranboo who was peacefully sleeping. Those marks on his body still sent chills down his spine, but he was happy to know he was safe now. Or,, safer. More so.</p><p>He laid back down, not wanting to waste the opportunity of getting sleep. There were many goals he had to reach tomorrow morning such as get more food, more water, and maybe even set some traps around for both hunting purposes and safety. Those things and that he could finally start on making the way out of here. If he had to be honest though, he had about zero hope on them ever leaving. Was that even possible? Guess they'd figure out tomorrow.</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. A clear head</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dream woke up without a single noise, not a groan nor grumble as he slowly sat up. The pain came back, but it wasn’t as strong as before. Guess his body was adapted to heal faster considering injuries would be more common out here.. </p>
<p>The native stood to his feet slowly, knees giving a few pops as he stretched. He hasn’t had that kind of sleep in a long time, or.. ever. Maybe that necklace worked, or maybe it was the fact that he was in a group now. Though the smile he had faded when he realized that Techno and Ranboo couldn’t stay here. In a way, the two reminded him of himself and his own sister, Drista. The thought of that little crackhead made him chuckle a little as he approached the shelter wall, arms and legs carefully climbing up until he could perch on the edge, that position changing to a simple sitting one so he could keep watch. </p>
<p>Dream took the necklace off, looking at the reflection of the moonlight in the metal. He didn’t take whatever mineral that was in the container out, he just fidgeted as he listened for any distant footsteps. Only.. it was quiet. Not a sound other than the frogs and crickets. It was actually quite beautiful, the sounds and the sights. If you ignored the people who lived here and the creatures in the caves, it was peaceful.</p>
<p>Andddd, sleep was interrupted once again. The cold sweat had time to go away so at least he wasn't woken up instantly. Technoblade sat up slowly upon looking around the small base, soon finding that Dream was the cause of him awakening. Figures. "Dream?" The male yawned, walking over to the native who was fiddling with his necklace. At this point, he didn't even want it back. Though the skull mask was resting on one of the tables free for the other to take back. "You really don't sleep, do you?" His voice was a little quiet, granted he was tired. "I'm gonna have to start callin you some shit like owl boy." </p>
<p>Now taking a seat next to the fire, he leaned back on his palms. "You know, you really should try to sleep tonight.." If they were going to work together until the two can finally leave, adjusting to their sleep schedules would work out in each others favor. "I know you're all about staying up and constantly working because thats what you do, but-- We're not going to be here for much longer. Two more days or even one, and that's it. So resting for that sounds like a good idea." He couldn't believe it. It was amazing. Techno actually started to care for this little shit. That was most expressed in the caves, but-- Dream was like a cat. You don't want to rub up to them, yet at the end of the day? You do anyway.<br/><br/></p>
<p>Dream didn’t flinch when Techno woke up. He trusted the man not to just spontaneously attack him considering everything that happened. It was night, and boy was the moon gorgeous. Never before had he noticed these details before, but then again it was rare that Dream was ever at piece. </p>
<p>The native looked up to the moon, eyes wide and practically twinkling with the star and moon’s reflection. “It’s ok.” Sleep would be helpful, but not tonight. He just couldn’t leave them defenseless for tonight. “I will sleep tomorrow.” The native looked back to Techno and smiled again, carefully dropping down from the fence and sitting next to Techno by the fire, knees held close to his chest and hands holding his shins. As he watched the flames dance, his mind wandered to lots of different places. Mainly how he felt when Techno was so ready to lay his life down for him, and help him up the rope when it was hopeless for him to get up it. </p>
<p>“I slept good, it was nice.” For the first time around this foreigner, Dream laughed, albeit softly and shortly. “You were in my dreams. That’s why.” He reached up and took the necklace off of him, settling it in Techno’s lap as the embers crackled. He probably wanted to take it home if it was a gift from his mother. From how long ago? That didn’t matter. A gift was a gift, especially in this day and age it feels like. “Your hand. Is.. it ok?” Lately he found his speech had been getting better, undoubtedly because he’s been hanging around this foreigner. He didn’t want Techno to go, but.. he had a home out there. For now, he’d treasure the time they had together right now.<br/><br/></p>
<p>The response both brought him comfort yet saddened him. He knew the reason Dream was making himself stay up and he appreciated it, he just wished he didn't have to. "Alright. I will make sure you do though, so no bullshit." Techno smiled at him softly before looking up at the sky. It was pretty. Back in California, he never really took his time out of his day to just admire nature like this. Though his thought process was fucked up once Dream began to talk again. "Oh really?" Yeah that put a dumb smile on his face, but it was good to know that he was able to bring the native comfort. </p>
<p>Putting the necklace back around himself, he suddenly felt better about it. Maybe it did work. Sure Dream's ribs got hurt, but he didn't die from it. Whether that be just pure luck or the works of his mother's necklace, he was happy with that outcome. "It's a little sore, but it's fine overall." Technoblade shrugged while observing his bandaged hand. "I'm assuming you're feelin better since you were climbin the walls like a monkey" However this native did it will forever be a mystery to him, but he wasn't complaining. "Oh, I want to show you something." </p>
<p>Reaching towards his bed area, he grabbed his phone. It was still at a high percentage so he didn't worry much about using it. "Remember when i told you about countries? Well, each country looks different." Opening his gallery, he began swiping through photos. Slowly though. He wanted Dream to be able to look at them. "I have a lot of friends all over the world because of the job I have. In this video, I was with my friend, Minx. She lives in a place called Ireland." He showed a video of him holding his phone towards a window. They were on a train, passing by empty but beautiful land. "In this one, I'm at a beach in my state, California." There was so much he wanted to show him, but so little he was able to.<br/><br/></p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. An ocean’s reflection.</h2></a>
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    <p>“Wow.” </p><p>What a wild couple days it’s been. Ever since they got Ranboo out of that cave, the awareness for other natives had been on high alert. It was settled that they all pitch in to build a raft, even though only two people were riding it. Nobody wanted to say, but they all knew who had to stay behind. It was, in all honesty, pretty crushing. </p><p>Techno was the first friend he’s ever made, the first person he’s ever grown attached to. And, well.. now he’ll be gone. </p><p>Dream stood atop the raft as he secured the last rope, hands red as he finished working tirelessly. He really didn’t want them to leave, but they had to. They didn’t belong here, their injuries were more than enough to prove that. And with a bandaged torso, Dream knew he’d be ok. The bruises were already beginning to go away. </p><p>Alone he sat, legs somewhat crossed as the bottom of his feet pressed against each other. The raft was done, he secured the last rope needed. The last rope, Techno’s last day here, the last time he’d ever see him.. and Ranboo, that kid was so full of energy. They had such a great relationship. Something felt wet on his face, and upon realizing what it was the native moved a hand up to quickly wipe it away followed by a sniffle. He couldn’t cry, not while Techno and/or Ranboo could see him do it. He had to stay strong and give them hope, since they’ll be out at see. </p><p>Dream just sighed as he looked down to his hand. He had given Techno his mask to borrow while he was here, but he won’t ask for it back. Hopefully they’ll remember him even when they get home, because, hell, he’ll have a tough time forgetting them. The native took a deep breath and stood to his feet, walking out into the sunlight with strained eyes. It was so odd and.. uneasy being out in such bright natural light, but for Techno, he’d do anything. He saved his life, after all.</p><p>Finally. They were able to leave. The raft took a while to finish up, but it was no longer than a day. Technoblade was happy, but he was also overwhelmed with many emotions. One of them being fear that the two would die at sea before making their way back. The second, being-- Well, sad. Dream wasn't coming with them for obvious reasons. They only had time to build a raft that would fit two people. That and he had a feeling a native and Americans wouldn't mix well. His people had poor judgment. </p><p>Ranboo was definitely joyful about this and he honestly couldn't even tell if he felt the slightest bit of remorse. Though during their time building this thing, the older noticed a change in him. He flinched less around Dream and seemed to warm up to him. A little, at least. "Well, look's like it's all done." The raft was way more well put together than he had first thought it out to be. Maybe they'd have a chance out there. "I have our bag of food!" The brunet called out from the beach, setting the bag somewhere safe. He was ready to go. Now it was his turn to be ready.</p><p>"Dream, I wanted to give you somethin." He took his phone out of his pocket, looking at the battery. 90%. "Earlier today, I recorded some things for you. Im not gonna say what, but I want you to watch them when i'm gone." There were two videos. The first one was of him singing Oceans by Tigers In The Sky. The second was a simple video of him saying how much he misses him. The third was a tutorial on how to play the song he sang on a guitar which he left at Dream's bed. "You have to be careful with your usage of this because it does not last forever. No matter how much you might want it to." Technoblade finally placed the phone in his hand, holding it there for a moment. "<em>Promise</em> me you'll be careful with it."<br/>
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</p><p>Dream learned a lot of things over this time frame. Acceptance, curiosity, wonder, <em>trust</em>. Granted it’ll only be for one person for the rest of his life that he’ll never see again, but it was a nice feeling to have. Being around somebody that didn’t make you feel like you couldn’t have your back turned to them. </p><p>When Dream ever so gently took the device, he only looked at it for a few seconds before looking back to Techno’s face, eyebrows furrowed and mouth barely cracked open. Tears were going to be harder to fight back now, and his breathing steadily became heavier, chest rising and falling with shaky inhales and exhales. “Techno, how- how do you say goodbye where you’re from?” That was the best English he’s ever spoken, another thing he’s learned how to do from Techno. Some what. The corners of his eyes already started to leak subtle tears, but by god he wasn’t letting them fall.</p><p>Although Ranboo didn’t trust him completely he was going to miss that kid, too. The way he made Techno smile and laugh was something to be treasured. He could still hear those conversations they’ve had on cold nights by the campfire, it was a memory he’ll never forget.<br/>
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</p><p>How do you say.. <em>Goodbye</em>? The question rang through his head for a few seconds. It wasn't that it confused him, but more so the fact there were so many ways he could answer that. Maybe it was his brain trying to stall because the more he thought about it, the more he didn't want to leave. Though before he could answer, he reached up to cup Dream's face. His thumbs grazed near his eyes gently, able to tell they were getting watery. "Hey, it's okay dude." Technoblade then moved his hands away just to wrap them around the other in a tight hug. It felt good to hug him for once. He should of done it before it came to this. Another thing he'll regret.</p><p>Zero words had to be spoken as he had a strong feeling that the native would get the memo from the emotion behind it. Technoblade's words even came back to haunt him. The pink haired man had to take a breath as tears were starting to become too prominent, a few losing their way from the hold of his eye and dripping down his face. The hug might've been for his own sake because he didn't realize how much he needed it until he did it. Though the foreigner had to quickly pull away to wipe his eyes, the tears fogging up his sight. "Uhm..- Yeah, that's how we say goodbye."<br/>
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</p><p>Dream didn’t flinch when his face was cupped, instead he merely leaned into the touch as he swallowed down overwhelming emotions. And then, the hug. He couldn’t even hug back, he’s never even heard of this until now. But being so close, knowing that this- <em>embrace</em> meant so much, it was something he wanted <em>more</em> of. But before he could return it, the hug had already ended, and he could tell Techno was holding back his own emotions. </p><p>Not yet. </p><p>Dream’s eyes only got more watery from there, the tears finally beginning to fall as he gripped the phone a bit harder. “It- I-It isn’t good enough!” Dream gently tossed the phone onto the grass as he practically flung himself towards Techno, arms wrapping around him the best he could manage. One hand rested palm-down against his back while the other held his shoulders, eyes squeezing shut and tears falling onto his black hoodie. “I’ll never forget you. <em>Ever</em>.” Strong arms hugged the shorter just a bit tighter right before he let go, a hand moving to wipe his face again. </p><p>Dream looked to Ranboo and sniffled, hoping he could offer some sort of peace before their departure. But what? Damnit- there wasn’t enough time. The longer they waited the closer they got to their food perishing. “Just- please, go, before it’s too late.” He hated saying that, but they all knew it. But he said it with a smile, not wanting his words to come across with venom rather than care<br/>
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</p><p>Technoblade expected to just hug, return to the raft, then leave it at that. He didn't expect for Dream to practically take a leap of faith into his arms, but he made sure to hug that man whenever the opportunity was shown. It's a weird thing to say, but he hasn't felt this safe with anyone in a long time. Not that he didn't trust his family, but the way he just knew that Dream would help him in a heart beat if ever needed? That brought him a lot of comfort. More than he could begin to describe. "If I could stay here with you, I would" The male replied shakily as they broke the hug. God this hurt more than it should've. Especially the words that left him after. He knew that he didn't mean it harshly, it just made him know that this was really the end. "Stay safe" He smiled softly before placing a soft kiss on the Native's cheek. </p><p>He was quick to make his way to the raft before they'd be able to waste anymore time, but Ranboo seemed to have something else in mind. He could tell by the way that he was looking at Dream. "Go say goodbye, Ran. A few more seconds won't hurt." Technoblade began preparing everything for their raft to be stable, giving the younger some time to say what he wanted to. Though he didn't say much at first. The boy just threw his arms around the other as if he wanted to for a while. They weren't close, but he did start to regret not getting to know him so they could've been. "I'm sorry for being stubborn with you. I know you were just trying to make me feel safe. What you did will be a huge change for this island. Just give it some time." </p><p>It was finally time to head out. The raft was ready to go to sea. "If techno forgets ya, i'll punch him in the face." Neither of them would forget Dream, but a little joke to soften the blow was better than nothing. The Brunet jogged back to Technoblade and after a few minutes, their raft had separated from the beach shore.</p><p>Dream clutched the device to his chest as he watched his only two friends leave, never to come back. Slowly, their figures became nothing but the distant ocean sparkle, their presence forever missing from this island. <br/>
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</p><p>Technoblade and Ranboo had returned home. </p>
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